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Hornets Player Grades: Brandon Miller

Matt Alquiza

Apr 7, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller (24) reacts to a call during the fourth quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 7, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller (24) reacts to a call during the fourth quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-USA TODAY Sports / Scott Kinser-USA TODAY Sports

Expectations for the number two overall pick in 2023 were modest at best. Brandon Miller was billed as a pro-ready prospect, but the flak the Hornets received for choosing Miller over Scoot Henderson tempered the excitement most fans had for Miller. It didn't take long for him to prove them wrong.

Miller won three straight Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month awards, finished third in Rookie of the Year voting, and was named to the All-Rookie first team earlier this week. Those that applauded Miller's selection on draft night were validated. Those that disgraced it have egg on their face.

Glass Half Full

Miller proved himself as a viable first option on offense within three months of his NBA career. A dominant stretch of offensive basketball in late January and February cemented Miller as an upper-echelon prospect with a Paul George-esque future in bucket-getting. His usage rate of 23.5% ranked in the top five of rookies that played at least 65 games, and he still finished with a 55.2% true shooting percentage. High usage, solid efficiency. Exactly what an NBA team hopes for in a wing player.

Glass Half Empty

Anything put in here pales in comparison to the positive strides Miller made during his rookie season. The rookie has a well-rounded offensive attack, but he struggles when he's unable to get to the rim or knock down deep jumpers. In non-restricted area paint shots, Miller shot 39.7%, well below average. His offseason plan to add strength (see below) will help him in that area. Miller has his struggles finishing through contact even though he is an elite vertical leaper.

The only other qualm with Miller's game is on the defensive end. He competes his tail off, but individual defense left much to be desired. Rookies are rarely great defenders out of the gate (Victor Wembanyama is an exception, not a rule), so if that end of the floor is the biggest concern Charlotte has about Miller he's doing pretty well.

Best Moment of the Season

Every Halloween Cleveland Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett builds a graveyard in his front yard with tombstones detailing the names of every quarterback he sacked that season. Next Halloween Brandon Miller could build his own for players he dunked on.

My personal favorite is the one below. A vicious crossover into an equally vicious dunk. Nasty, nasty stuff.

Worst Moment of the Season

This may be cheating, but my first thought goes to his Las Vegas Summer League performance. Turnovers and fouls plagued Miller and his haters had ammo all summer to criticize his performance.

That ammo ran out quickly.

Overall Grade - A+

Five stars for Miller. In a tough season for the Hornets filled with injuries, a coaching change, an ownership change, and off the court problems, Miller was a beacon of hope and consistency. His maturity on and off the floor gave Charlotte fans something to cling to in the morass that was 2023-24. Brandon Miller has a bright future that was on full display last season, and if he continues his upward ascent, more hardware will end up on his shelves next to his Rookie of the Month awards in due time.

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Matt Alquiza

MATT ALQUIZA

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